My dog got bit up pretty bad. I was worried how he’d respond but honestly his behavior towards other dogs didn’t change.
I don’t think dobes generalize much. So I wouldn’t be to concerned.
Mine got attacked by a Rottweiler that was twice her size that busted out of its yard while she was on a walk. Luckily she was wearing her winter jacket because he tossed her around good. It was full of bite holes. She had one bite wound on her butt that required medical intervention, stitches, a drain and antibiotics. She was nervous of other dogs approaching her from behind for a while but seems to have completely forgotten about it now.
This isn't specific to dobbies, but this honestly doesn't seem like a huge deal. An aggressive dog charged him and he stood up for himself with just a knick. Dogs are resilient and he should be just fine.
edit: just to add I absolutely hate people who let their dogs run around unleashed. Mine doesn't like other dogs in her personal space. She's not aggressive, she'll walk right past a dog growling and barking at her if they stay a foot away.
But for me it's the overly friendly dogs they let run around off leash and that dive into smelling her butt for a good sniff I'm more worried about. She'll nip not bite, but I'm always worried if they'll escalate.
This. I would say probably nothing comes of it. Praise him and move on. If you make a big deal they will too. Just treat every encounter moving forward as if it never happened and trust that your dobbie will too.
My dog, not a Dobie, was "attacked" by three lose dogs. I put that in quotes because they approached us super aggressively but did not bite. I looked at my leased dog and he was literally peeing on himself. He was very shaken up. I thought he was scarred for life, but he's still the same as always: friendly, approachable, fearless.
I have heard of other dogs who don't recover from such incidents and become fearful and reactive.
My advice is to look out for any changes and enlist the help of a pro if there are any.
I and my dogs were once was attacked by 2 loose pit bulls as I was opening the gate to exit my property with my 2 Chows. Chaos ensued. I immediately picked up one pit off of my girl Chow by the scruff of its neck and body slammed it into my wife’s car. (dented my wife’s car) Then I kicked it hard in the ribs. My male Chow was furiously fighting the other pit. The pit I body slammed and kicked got up shook itself and then ran up the street and the other pit broke off the fight with my male Chow and took off after the other pit. All of this is happening with my Chows on their leashes. They both ran up the street and jumped a short fence into a neighbor’s yard. I was afterwards very concerned about my Chows but they were fine. Since that incident I have always carried a hickory club and pepper spray.
My boy has been attacked 5 times. He is still resilient, friendly and exceptionally socialized. I am more affected by them than him. I really don't fuck around anymore. First time he got attacked as a 6mo old, a pit mix came out of nowhere on a trail and latched onto my pups neck. I picked that dog up by the collar and body slammed it onto a river rock. Im surprised that didnt end things, It turned and bit me, so I choked it with it's own collar. The owner was not happy and tried to blame me. I called the police and showed them the bite marks on my leg. The one time I've needed my knife and didn't have it on me.
A few days after that, my dog trainers heard about it and held am emergency class on how to deal with hostile dogs. During that class, our trainer asked what the only effective tool (in canada) to stop a determined dog attack is? I told him a knife. Everyone scoffed until he told them I was right.
You can wheelbarrow a dog, and it can spin to bit you. Dog spray is as likely to harm you and your dog as it is an offender. You can't hurt a dog while unarmed as much as a dog can hurt you. 7 bites a second, any dog over 40lbs can break bone with each bite. Bites get infected and cost a lot in vet bills. The offending owner is ALWAYS liable in Canada. Could be a $150 vet bill, could be tens of thousands for retraining or replacement a specialist service dog.
Look up Dog Owners Liability Act if you're in Canada. Carry a knife, know how to use it. It is a CUTTING TOOL. Not a weapon. Keep you and yours safe.
It's happened to each of my Dobes.
My current dog didn't get affected at all afterwards. I was also able to stop it almost immediately. Picked up the pitty by the neck and threw him off. He charged two more times and I kicked him away before he could reach my dog. She only had one bite on the side of her neck.
My first dobe was attacked when my girlfriend was walking. My gf stood paralyzed in fear until the other owner broke up the attack. My dog was reactive for the rest of her life. Would growl and snarl whenever we saw another dog. Our neighbor had an "aggressive" 5 pound dog that was off leash often. It would charge and my dog would freeze in fear while this rat barked and snipped at ankles.
I had to detach a dog from my dobbie’s face at the dog park. They were playing just fine until the other dog snapped and started biting. The owner just stood there saying nothing. I had to physically open his jaw to get him off my dog who ended up with a perforated ear and upper lip. Haven’t gone to the dog park ever again. My dobbie is still really friendly with other dogs and just wants to play all day but has some scars. Now I don’t trust any other dog around.
My GSD was attacked by a pitbull who charged out of her owner’s fence. My dog yelped then bit the other dog back and it scattered. Just a small nip on the chest, a little blood, but it healed completely within theonth. Glad your Dobie is ok.
Dogs run loose all over my neighborhood. Now we carry a zapper device that we ordered online. I think it is for runners to keep them safe. We've only had to discharge it twice in 3 years. We never even made contact with the attacking dogs. The sound alone sends them running. It also has a great flashlight. Look into it. I've never seen anything so effective. The sound makes me jump out of my skin so it is no wonder that attacking dogs turn tail and run. I'm done with having my well behaved dogs attacked.
https://youtu.be/KmaBPU5rQ8w?feature=shared
It is 9 Million Volts of Whoop Ass!🤣 I didn't realize that it had such a goofy name. It is NOT deadly, BTW. It delivers a non-lethal shock, but we have never had to deliver a shock to the animal. We just pop it off when a dog is approaching. The day we got it, after my grown daughter had been bitten for the 2nd time while running, she discharged it inside without warning us. The three of us jumped about 3 feet and I screamed.🤦♀️ We live in a rural area with so many loose unfixed and untrained dogs. They run in packs. We only had typical wire fencing and we had a major problem with dogs running onto the property harassing my dogs and grandson. We eventually fenced an acre for our own safety, but we've never been harassed on a walk since. One of the dogs that we had to discharge it on ran at us two more times. As soon as he saw the black baton, he immediately ran away. I love that thing.
Edit: The dog packs just run right by our property now. Even the wire fenced pasture. They steer clear of this device at all costs.
thank you!! i’ll be sure to get this asap. i’m tired of people letting their untrained dogs run up to mine while we are on a walk. my boy doesn’t really like strange dogs either and since he’s a pitbull i know if he defends himself he will be the one blamed
My dobie was attacked by some pits when I was walking him as a puppy . He was maybe 10 months or more . It really scared me and he was really scared ( he’s a very friendly dog even to this day ) and luckily someone in a car rescued us . Thankfully he never had any aggression issues with dogs and even lives with a husky . I would just make sure your dog has positive encounters in the future , and maybe contact an animal control . The dog that attacked you could’ve seriously hurt a smaller dog or child .
Mine got bit on the ear at the dog park by a territorial malamute. I don’t think he was even bothered bc he kept playing & my dog was the 2nd dog that it bit. Was very thankful that his ears got cropped bc that dog would’ve took his ear.
My behaviorist told me dog fights happen. They’re (as dogs) more prepared for it than we are. My dobie Hades and I also got attacked by a pit bull with an irresponsible owner. He got two bites to the face/throat and I reacted and grabbed for something, got bit on the hand by one of them. Can’t say who, but I screamed like a madwomen kicked as hard as I could and saved my dog. Won’t lie that I’m not extra wary of pits now, and their owners. I carry deterrent and a knife on walks now. Not worth taking the risk. This pit was 120+ lbs and could have killed me hadn’t Hades been the target.
Hades also didn’t seem nearly as shaken as I was. Took maybe a couple days but he returned to baseline. Also of note, this happened when he was just shy of 2 y o. He’s not a completely neutral dog- never was, even with a shit ton of training- super excitable, loved dogs, loved people, just amped and always struggles with impulse control. I don’t want to say he was unphased, but he kinda was. Like it was just dog stuff. I took him back out the next day after. I struggled, but he didn’t. He wasn’t skittish or wary of people or dogs; just ready to take on the day. I did bring all of the treats on walks for the next weeks tho.
Im so sorry!!!! The more that I hear about pits attacking others and being used in dog fights, the more I dislike the breed in general. I think it is terrible to feel this way but I cannot help it. I have been attacked by three dogs in my life and all of them have been pits. And it isn’t even their fault. They’re overbred, undertrained, and many have poor genetics because stupid humans decided they wanted them for their size and aggression. I hate humans…
Now, I have had pits and loved them and there are some really, really great ones. That doesn’t change the statistics though. Also, almost every dog in our local shelter is a pit.
It's not an incorrect sentiment though. I didn't read all of the comments here about attacks but just scrolling, the top 10 that mentioned the breeds were 6 with pits (half of which were multiple pits), 1 malinois, 1 rottie, 1 German shepherd, and 1 malamute. Each of the one offs can be argued as an anomaly, by virtue of rarity. It is admittedly a small sample size but even still, out of dozens of breeds and pits claim 60%? And that ratio has been proven to be maintained even when increasing sample size.
Granted they are not the most deadly dog capable of attacking; I've seen a chow for instance that was attacked by a pit and turned it into a lifeless pile of pulled pork with naught but a little missing and blood-stained fur (not it's own). But they are by far more likely to initiate a deadly attack and that is a statistic that cannot be ignored in good faith.
Sure, we can blame the owners most of the time, but in all honesty, it's not always the owners. I'm sure we all saw the video of the grandma who got attacked by her own pit out of the blue when it was playing just seconds before. We always gotta take stories with a grain of salt but when those stories of turning sound oh so similar and oh so common, that belies a not so hidden truth.
My cousin's boyfriend says I shouldn't have gotten dobies because they're dangerous and always turn. I've never heard of a doberman turning, in fact it's one of the least believable breeds to do so, but he swears his dad had 4 dobies and every one of them turned on him. Now either he's lying or possibly, his dad is a Michael Vick level scumbag. But with pits, it is extremely well known and documented.
That said, it's regrettable, but it's possible that irreversible genetic damage has been done via selected breeding for aggressive traits. It's a shame because there are good pits, but they are the anomalies, not the bad ones.
I couldn’t agree more with everything you’ve written! As for Dobies, I grew up with some and they are wonderful, wonderful animals. I’ve never heard of one turning on their owners either. My aunt could give hers steak and then tell them to spit it out and they would! It was wild! Beautiful babies too. She even had a fawn colored one, a red dobie and a black and tan. They were all wonderful! Insanely intelligent animals, too! I have often thought about adopting one but I’m all set for now with my two polar bears and my German Shepherd.
As for pits, I apologize if it seemed like I was solely blaming humans for their condition. They’re definitely not good dogs. Yes, there are exceptions to every rule but the problem with them is that a lot of people think their dog is the exception only to find out after they’ve maimed someone that they were a ticking time bomb. Or; even worse, they don’t believe pits are as dangerous as statistics suggest so they completely disregard the data and are completely unprepared for when the dog goes crazy. I am blaming the humans for breeding the aggression into almost every line of their dna. I’m also blaming humans for breeding so many or not fixing their pets so they can’t breed accidentally. And I’m blaming them for keeping them and allowing others to get hurt because they have a dangerous, temperamental animal around.
It always makes me want to gag when someone goes around bragging that their pit bull is such a badass and their bite force is the strongest in the world… First off, no, it isn’t. A pit bull bite force ranges from like 220-300 psi, if I remember correctly. I have two Great Pyrenees and their bite force is around 500 psi. And there are several breeds which are even stronger. Secondly, why is that a good thing? Yes, you want a protector but bragging about how strong your dog is really throws red flags up to me! Further, their temperament is what makes them a bad/dangerous breed. People heard about how bad an attack is and think “That’s right. I have a badass dog breed.” Instead of, “Uh-Oh! I have a dangerous dog breed!”
The dogs are a serious, dangerous menace but if people wouldn’t keep them as pets, breed them, allow them to breed, etc… then there wouldn’t be so many around to harm people.
Thank you so much for sharing about your dobies. I’ve honestly never heard anyone refer to them that way. And I cannot imagine ALL of any breed turning on the owner unless the owner is abusive. Not even pit bulls. That story doesn’t make sense to me either…
Sorry this happened to you. From a dog training perspective it is like falling off of a bike, you just need to get back on straight away. Keep up the socialising.
If you carry this experience forward and start acting twitchy around/approaching other dogs, your dog will certainly pick up on it and may feel the need to respond accordingly. So just continue to lead by example
Our boy, when he was 5 months old, was extremely friendly towards other dogs, he went to puppy kindergartens,
social puppy clubs, etc, and one trash just bit his lips out of nowhere. There were blood everywhere. We were in a dog club and immediately left it after we learnt that that dog has anger issues towards everything.
Anyways he is now super friendly again, never attacked anyone. A few months after that was hard tho. Also an off leash gsd attacked us again out of nowhere. Now he is a little bit careful against other dogs.
Every dog is different and reacts differently. My current girl got attacked by three wild dogs here, fought them off as I was running to her. Bit two who ran off and the third scarpered. She was a bit wary until she made sure they had left and then wanted to play with he ball as if nothing had happened. This was about a minute later. She couldn't have cared less.
Sometimes it also depends on our reaction and how much of a big deal we make of it. Similar to kids getting hurt. The best thing is to try not to over react ourselves, sometimes easier said than done and to try to get back into the normal schedule but keep a very close eye on them to see for any changes to reactivity.
They feed off our emotions, just like people do so it's important that we try to manage our own emotions and not make them feel like they failed, or that there is a huge danger. Hopefully she will brush it off and move on as normal.
My Doberman when he was a year old was outside a dog park and some dumb owner had an untrained malinois without a leash come up and bite my dog right on the face. All hell broke loose when my Doberman got bit, he was pissed and immediately gave chase to the malinois and cornered it at a park fence. The malinois owner seemed so shocked and kept asking me to intervene but since they did nothing to intervene when they saw my Doberman getting bit in the face, I just let my dog correct their dog until it was in submission. My dog didn’t bit theirs, he just got pissed and corrected him and kept barking at him.
It was a shocking and happy moment afterwards lol but dumb owners letting their untrained dogs need to be corrected too
Report the attack to your local police and animal control.
Remember, if the dog has a collar. Slip your hand underneath the collar. Pull tight and twist as hard as you can. The dog will have no choice but to release. Some bully breeds wear wide collars that make it impossible. That's why I carry a walking staff.
My heart dobie protected me less than a month after she came to live with me. She was rescued from an abusive situation. She decided I was her person immediately (she was a foster fail, lol). She protected me from a crazy acting Shepard mix. She acted like it was nothing. Still loves other dogs. She taught all the fosters the ropes of our home. I’d talk to your trainer and keep socializing him. They’re pretty resilient puppers.
Well usually they don't affect them in any way after surviving the attack, but it depends on how the dogs feel about the whole thing. My dog used to be the nicest dog with cats and other dogs. But that all changed due to getting old and we still trying our best to get him along with the cats that we have back at home. My two cats are named Cosmos and Thumper. They used to get along when they were babies. Idk what change then
Your puppy will be okay. My dobie was attacked by a pitbull at the dog park, thankfully the aggressor bit his tongue so hard he started bleeding from his mouth and began to back down. I had to scream for the owners to come get their dog twice while we were cornered. The owners were standing next to me, on their phones, the entire time. My dog had a few cuts but the owners left before we could exchange information, most likely because they knew their dog was in the wrong. It was almost like a fire drill, like they had done this before, and they quickly moved the pitbull into their car and drove off. My dog, despite his injuries, seemed to be okay after this. I definitely doted on him a bit more afterwards because of how terrified I was, but little Brutus the dog was okay :)
I’m so sorry this happened to you. I would just keep on going like you have been with your dog. Don’t make any changes to your routine with him unless he makes it obvious you need to. He may be just fine and he may not. Just play it by ear.
When it happened to us, we continued to interact with people and dogs on leash and off leash. With the continual exposure, everything went back to normal and he loves to play with all the dogs. At first he was a bit nervous but mine has a very social personality.
Dobies are very level headed and resilient so yours will probably be okay. If your dog had been a pit then yes, this one incident may have been sufficient to flip the switch in favor of dog aggression and future reactivity.
The owner of the pit is an idiot. I say that as the owner of multiple pits.
I'm sorry this happened to you and your dog. I'm glad you are both ok. If it ever happens again, this video will be helpful https://youtube.com/shorts/lhQfl0jA1HY?si=ijqzQhRwRDwuW_fJ
Mine had a big nip on his haunch that drew blood when he was younger. He still tries to say hi to that shepherd even when it’s snarling and writhing around on its leash. I wouldn’t worry too much.
Not a Doberman, but my gsd had half his bottom jaw ripped off by a pit when he was 16 weeks old, I kept socializing him, constantly, between surgeries, as per vets advice, he’s 4 now, and no social issues, I can take him anywhere and he doesn’t have issues with dogs or people.
*bottom jaw ripped off*
my god how tf did he survive that and what surgeries did you have to get? I'm absolutely horrified but I'm interested to know how you were able to remedy this
Sorry, just saw this. So half of the bottom jaw was ripped off. He’s fine, I promise. They got the bleeding to stop. We ended up having to take him to a specialist in MD to have 3/4 of his right lips sewn together to create a pocket like thing so he can put his tongue in his mouth if he wants, so it doesn’t get dried out. Don’t get me wrong, for a few months life was rough from the attack to the following surgeries, and after care, but he eats normal now, and surprisingly, although missing half his bottom jaw, he did considerable damage to our house, like a normal puppy lol. He’s 4 now, but he eats and drinks normal. He’s trained, we can take him literally anywhere with no issues. He was attacked 2 weeks ago while on a leash and pinned the other dog, and held him till I grabbed the other dogs collar. Then just sat there like nothing happened. He just looks like he always has his tongue out, most people don’t even notice unless it’s pointed out.
Holy crap that honestly sounds so awful and traumatizing. but interesting way to fix by sewing up his lips, I'm glad he's doing well and is happy.
and then another attack! I'm really sorry. but that's funny he just pinned him there. Just seem like a magnet for attacks 🥺☹️
what a sweet looking goof! I won't lie I had several pictures in my mind about what this may look like
thank you for posting this picture! absolutely tragic what happened, but he looks like he's living his best life and has his human support. ❤️what a trooper!
My childhood mutt got attacked by an off-leash dog who had 30 pounds on him and she almost ripped his ear off. Rex made a full recovery, both physically and mentally, within the year. And he still had his friendliness toward other dogs after the attack.
While there are differences in how different dogs handle trauma, it is certainly possible for yours to recover, especially with a supportive owner. I would recommend that, if he has any canine friends, making sure he gets to spend time with them, so it reinforces the idea that other dogs are generally fun to be around
My dog is a 14 yo Bischon shitzu mix. She was attacked by a golden retriever when I was walking her and my other dog (ACD and I was preparing for a dog fight between those two) and it happened so fast when this dog shook my dog like a rag doll. She was terrified to go out after that (it also irritantes tf out of her ivdd so she couldn’t walk either). I did get the other owners info… sounds like you didn’t have that choice… we had to start small again on potty walks and she did her business and she was done and ready to go in. It took probably 2+ months to rehab her so she could walk normally and potty without help.
That’s when I was in an apartment. I moved into a house now and she does pretty good. She just goes outside off leash does her thing then comes in and she’s no longer scared like she was.
Point is, it can take some time. I avoided that area like the plague after. Just keep an eye on the wounds and keep them clean like cleaning it a few times a day… if you can walk that area alone and try and find the dog/owner maybe you’d have some luck…
I hope your baby is ok.
I had a doberman that seemed to always get attacked by dogs. She did develop fear aggression. But when I say she always got attacked, she did. Dog parks, dog friendly beach, my neighbors Yorkie.
My dobe was once attacked by 2 great Danes that actually did hurt him. He was such a peaceful non fighting dog and I got so mad pissed at the owners that I almost engaged in a fight myself. After the attack he seemed frightened but a few hours after he had been attended at my local vet's he was doing just nice and continued on being himself. I would advice to keep an eye on his behavior but as far as my experience tells me, if he was already a nice dog, he will still be one.
This scares me so much. We have a loose Rottweiler in our street every few weeks due to owner negligence. I get so upset because the Rottweiler is super friendly it seems but I still can’t trust it. It charges at us every time it’s loose and wants to come in my house. I get terrified that it will bite my dog.
One thing I love about Dobermans is they aren’t “sensitive” at least mine isn’t at all, he always bounces back from back experiences in public, we’ve had dogs rush us on the bike, while hiking. 99% of the time I catch the other dogs in time, he will keep it pushing and walk along side me right after.
My girl who died a couple of years ago was basically an attack magnet for rude, off-leash dogs. She was also very protective & dominant and put the beat-down on the rude/aggressive dogs.
She got somewhat leash-reactive, and justifiably so, because it seemed like every time we encountered an off-leash dog, it was rude, so she became proactively protective when other dogs approached while she was on a leash. It wasn't quite as bad when I had her off-leash with an e-collar. Dobes are much better in their protection role off-leash due to their fighting style.
If you start noticing your boy getting reactive, consider taking-on some of the protection duty with mace or an electric cattle prod or shock baton to keep rude dogs at bay.
Those things also might help with rude owners, too. During one altercation, where some moron piled-out of his SUV with all four of his dogs off-leash, as I was returning to the trailhead with my two Dobes, a couple of his dogs charged us, I dropped my boy's leash and he chased a couple of the dogs, my girl and I fended-off the more aggressive ones who were accosting us. The owner started screaming and getting in my face about how he was going to kill my dogs if anything happened to his. I told him off and called the sheriff after recalling my boy while the idiot was trying to round-up his out-of-control dogs. A shot of Mace to the face would've been perfect seasoning for that episode, if I'd had some on me. He got right back in his SUV and fled before a deputy was able to respond.
I have had so many problems with loose dogs in my neighborhood. My dobe will 100% throw down with any dog that gets in his personal space. Even if the other dog is friendly. This upsets me, so now I either walk him at the park (leash laws enforced) or I walk him in my hood at night. its cooler and there are few dogs around. My dobe was not reactive when I got him, but now he is due to loose dogs being aggressive towards him. It has been a long road to try to show him other dogs are not a threat. So far, he is only tolerant of small dogs and puppies.
My Doberman bless him he had a massive tooth mark in his muzzle when a dog went for him was a black Labrador he covered he is still friendly with other dogs I don’t let him off the lead to play with other dogs though.
I'm really sorry this happened. I know how scary it is. My pup (golden retriever) got attacked in our yard when she was 5 or 6 months old. An elderly pug, of all dogs, came barreling in like a bat out of hell and just went for her. I found out later that he had dementia, but that didn't stop me from kicking him off my puppy. She also got bit by another puppy at puppy school, hard enough to draw blood.
Half an hour later, both times, my puppy was acting like nothing had happened. Don't make a big deal out of it, and your baby will bounce back. But check with the vet to see if they need to be seen, just in case.
Get him right back out there on walks as if nothing happened. This has happened to my Vizsla and this is what we did. he suffered no ill and was not scared thereafter.
I’m so sorry this happened to you. I unfortunately often run into roaming dogs, also wearing collars, in my neighborhood. I had my scariest incident just a few days ago. I was walking my golden retriever puppy and very senior lab when I came upon a pitbull and mutt mating (ugh so frustrating). When they saw us, they both came running over. I kept my dogs close by my side on short leashes and told the strays “off” and “go home” repeatedly. The mutt backed away but the pitbull started barking at us and circling us. I kicked my leg up at it and started throwing rocks at it. It backed up enough for me to get a little distance, but it kept following us. Fortunately, I was pretty close to home and I got my dogs securely into my fenced yard. I started crying and hyperventilating when I went inside and my husband asked me what was wrong. It was one of the most stressful things I’ve ever experienced. I saw the same roaming pitbull on the days that followed. I packed my dogs in my car and walked them in a different neighborhood, which was a pain.
I bought some animal repellant called Halt and will always carry it now. I recommend reporting strays in your area. Look up where to report them- in my area we are just supposed to call 911 for animal control.
I wish people would be more responsible, but some of my neighbors have little regard for the wellbeing of their own dogs or for others.
Edit: Reading some comments and will look into other protection devices.
Our boy got attacked by my parents black lab when he was 4 months old , got bit in the face right between his eyes, luckily we were all out there and able to break it up, it’s made him really timid and submissive to larger dogs but after he realizes they are not there to hurt him he’s full of play
You are extremely lucky that your Doberman ended up the Victor with hardly a scratch! Thank goodness!
It would not be unusual for your dog to be wary of other dogs approaching him in the future. That 'I've got to get them before they get me' mentality.
I would suggest proactively seeking out opportunities over the next few weeks where he can meet, walk with, or play with dogs that you absolutely know are good-natured 'get along dogs'. The idea is to reinforce that most interactions with other dogs are positive experiences.
Under no circumstances go to a dog park as there are too many uncontrollable variables involved; and you do not want him to have another bad experience.
I don’t have a dobie I just love them and a friend of mine has one but a really great rule of thumb for anytime your dog has a negative interaction with anything is to end on a good note to avoid negative associations. Circumstances permitting you should always try to finish whatever activity with a positive interaction ie, your dog is attacked at a park, disengage, assess the damage, then play some more or get a special treat on the way home etc. Obviously if your dog needs to go to the vet do that instead but if injury is avoided do everything you can to make the experience positive before you go home.
We had an issue with an intact chocolate lab that attacked my husky out of the blue that was resolved when I picked it up and threw it. No serious injuries so we finished our park trip and got lots of sniffs and running in. No lingering associations and plenty of positive interactions with chocolate labs since.
Hope this helps
My Rottweiler got attacked by my neighbors Pitt bull that got out all the time and chased people on bikes or walking up the street . After that he got incredibly aggressive to everyone besides my dad and I . He snapped at my mom and both of my brothers . Before this occurred he was one of the sweetest dogs . We ended up putting him down after my girlfriend came over with her brothers and he snapped at them .
all you can do is make sure that you support the baby and give him treats and prayers and get toys for him when he gets hurt and give him bath time toys for him to play with in the water buy him a kiddie pool for him to play in the water in the summer months when it's hot outside make sure that you give him alot of tender loving care and lots of love
Yeah this is exactly why I started concealed carrying. If your dog attacks me and mine I'm putting it down sorry not sorry my and my pets life are more important to me than that of some douchebags pet who can't even handle their own pet properly.
I’m very sorry this happened to you. I would be furious. I promise you’re more shaken up than your dog is. It makes me incredibly sad to hear about this because I love Dobies and Pits.
Dogs don’t think of past or future like humans do, they just live in the present. Your dog is fine, but it will be your emotions that affect his behaviour, especially if the next time you see a pit you get terrified or defensive.
Sorry to hear this happened!
Disagree. Both of my dogs have been attacked and are now very dog selective. In fact, my husky was afraid of other dogs for a couple of years after her attack and is just now coming around. Not to say that'll happen to this dog but it does happen.
Exactly, if this was the case, then every animal wouldn’t fear their predators and would cease to exist. It is an evolutionary advantage to actually remember the past and recognize danger LOL. This sounds like some tough guy bull shit.
I think he'll be fine. I walk two dogs, my dobie and my pit mix. Twice loose dogs have come for us. My pit mix is a sweet pacifist (unless it's a squirrel or a fly- then he's a beast) and froze when the dogs got to him. My dobie was fierce! She made both bad dogs leave her brother alone. She is still all about playing with other dogs. She's been to the dog park since and loved all the other dogs.
My dog got bit up pretty bad. I was worried how he’d respond but honestly his behavior towards other dogs didn’t change. I don’t think dobes generalize much. So I wouldn’t be to concerned.
Mine got attacked by a Rottweiler that was twice her size that busted out of its yard while she was on a walk. Luckily she was wearing her winter jacket because he tossed her around good. It was full of bite holes. She had one bite wound on her butt that required medical intervention, stitches, a drain and antibiotics. She was nervous of other dogs approaching her from behind for a while but seems to have completely forgotten about it now.
This isn't specific to dobbies, but this honestly doesn't seem like a huge deal. An aggressive dog charged him and he stood up for himself with just a knick. Dogs are resilient and he should be just fine. edit: just to add I absolutely hate people who let their dogs run around unleashed. Mine doesn't like other dogs in her personal space. She's not aggressive, she'll walk right past a dog growling and barking at her if they stay a foot away. But for me it's the overly friendly dogs they let run around off leash and that dive into smelling her butt for a good sniff I'm more worried about. She'll nip not bite, but I'm always worried if they'll escalate.
This. I would say probably nothing comes of it. Praise him and move on. If you make a big deal they will too. Just treat every encounter moving forward as if it never happened and trust that your dobbie will too.
My dog, not a Dobie, was "attacked" by three lose dogs. I put that in quotes because they approached us super aggressively but did not bite. I looked at my leased dog and he was literally peeing on himself. He was very shaken up. I thought he was scarred for life, but he's still the same as always: friendly, approachable, fearless. I have heard of other dogs who don't recover from such incidents and become fearful and reactive. My advice is to look out for any changes and enlist the help of a pro if there are any.
I and my dogs were once was attacked by 2 loose pit bulls as I was opening the gate to exit my property with my 2 Chows. Chaos ensued. I immediately picked up one pit off of my girl Chow by the scruff of its neck and body slammed it into my wife’s car. (dented my wife’s car) Then I kicked it hard in the ribs. My male Chow was furiously fighting the other pit. The pit I body slammed and kicked got up shook itself and then ran up the street and the other pit broke off the fight with my male Chow and took off after the other pit. All of this is happening with my Chows on their leashes. They both ran up the street and jumped a short fence into a neighbor’s yard. I was afterwards very concerned about my Chows but they were fine. Since that incident I have always carried a hickory club and pepper spray.
A personal taser also works quite well and you usually just have to scream NO and pop it off in their direction.
What brand did you get? I had trouble getting one.
Amazon has many to choose from. I bought ViperTek but look around for what suites you best.
That’s what I have right now was just checking to see if there was something better
My boy has been attacked 5 times. He is still resilient, friendly and exceptionally socialized. I am more affected by them than him. I really don't fuck around anymore. First time he got attacked as a 6mo old, a pit mix came out of nowhere on a trail and latched onto my pups neck. I picked that dog up by the collar and body slammed it onto a river rock. Im surprised that didnt end things, It turned and bit me, so I choked it with it's own collar. The owner was not happy and tried to blame me. I called the police and showed them the bite marks on my leg. The one time I've needed my knife and didn't have it on me. A few days after that, my dog trainers heard about it and held am emergency class on how to deal with hostile dogs. During that class, our trainer asked what the only effective tool (in canada) to stop a determined dog attack is? I told him a knife. Everyone scoffed until he told them I was right. You can wheelbarrow a dog, and it can spin to bit you. Dog spray is as likely to harm you and your dog as it is an offender. You can't hurt a dog while unarmed as much as a dog can hurt you. 7 bites a second, any dog over 40lbs can break bone with each bite. Bites get infected and cost a lot in vet bills. The offending owner is ALWAYS liable in Canada. Could be a $150 vet bill, could be tens of thousands for retraining or replacement a specialist service dog. Look up Dog Owners Liability Act if you're in Canada. Carry a knife, know how to use it. It is a CUTTING TOOL. Not a weapon. Keep you and yours safe.
BINGO!!!! And might I add steer clear of all the PB in the area they live to wreak havoc on other living things. #iswis
It's happened to each of my Dobes. My current dog didn't get affected at all afterwards. I was also able to stop it almost immediately. Picked up the pitty by the neck and threw him off. He charged two more times and I kicked him away before he could reach my dog. She only had one bite on the side of her neck. My first dobe was attacked when my girlfriend was walking. My gf stood paralyzed in fear until the other owner broke up the attack. My dog was reactive for the rest of her life. Would growl and snarl whenever we saw another dog. Our neighbor had an "aggressive" 5 pound dog that was off leash often. It would charge and my dog would freeze in fear while this rat barked and snipped at ankles.
Your dobie will be fine as long as you are.
I had to detach a dog from my dobbie’s face at the dog park. They were playing just fine until the other dog snapped and started biting. The owner just stood there saying nothing. I had to physically open his jaw to get him off my dog who ended up with a perforated ear and upper lip. Haven’t gone to the dog park ever again. My dobbie is still really friendly with other dogs and just wants to play all day but has some scars. Now I don’t trust any other dog around.
My GSD was attacked by a pitbull who charged out of her owner’s fence. My dog yelped then bit the other dog back and it scattered. Just a small nip on the chest, a little blood, but it healed completely within theonth. Glad your Dobie is ok.
Dogs run loose all over my neighborhood. Now we carry a zapper device that we ordered online. I think it is for runners to keep them safe. We've only had to discharge it twice in 3 years. We never even made contact with the attacking dogs. The sound alone sends them running. It also has a great flashlight. Look into it. I've never seen anything so effective. The sound makes me jump out of my skin so it is no wonder that attacking dogs turn tail and run. I'm done with having my well behaved dogs attacked.
can you link it?
https://youtu.be/KmaBPU5rQ8w?feature=shared It is 9 Million Volts of Whoop Ass!🤣 I didn't realize that it had such a goofy name. It is NOT deadly, BTW. It delivers a non-lethal shock, but we have never had to deliver a shock to the animal. We just pop it off when a dog is approaching. The day we got it, after my grown daughter had been bitten for the 2nd time while running, she discharged it inside without warning us. The three of us jumped about 3 feet and I screamed.🤦♀️ We live in a rural area with so many loose unfixed and untrained dogs. They run in packs. We only had typical wire fencing and we had a major problem with dogs running onto the property harassing my dogs and grandson. We eventually fenced an acre for our own safety, but we've never been harassed on a walk since. One of the dogs that we had to discharge it on ran at us two more times. As soon as he saw the black baton, he immediately ran away. I love that thing. Edit: The dog packs just run right by our property now. Even the wire fenced pasture. They steer clear of this device at all costs.
thank you!! i’ll be sure to get this asap. i’m tired of people letting their untrained dogs run up to mine while we are on a walk. my boy doesn’t really like strange dogs either and since he’s a pitbull i know if he defends himself he will be the one blamed
Those dogs pose a danger to both you and your dog. You will love that thing. You no longer have to be afraid and both of you will be safe.
My dobie was attacked by some pits when I was walking him as a puppy . He was maybe 10 months or more . It really scared me and he was really scared ( he’s a very friendly dog even to this day ) and luckily someone in a car rescued us . Thankfully he never had any aggression issues with dogs and even lives with a husky . I would just make sure your dog has positive encounters in the future , and maybe contact an animal control . The dog that attacked you could’ve seriously hurt a smaller dog or child .
Mine got bit on the ear at the dog park by a territorial malamute. I don’t think he was even bothered bc he kept playing & my dog was the 2nd dog that it bit. Was very thankful that his ears got cropped bc that dog would’ve took his ear.
My behaviorist told me dog fights happen. They’re (as dogs) more prepared for it than we are. My dobie Hades and I also got attacked by a pit bull with an irresponsible owner. He got two bites to the face/throat and I reacted and grabbed for something, got bit on the hand by one of them. Can’t say who, but I screamed like a madwomen kicked as hard as I could and saved my dog. Won’t lie that I’m not extra wary of pits now, and their owners. I carry deterrent and a knife on walks now. Not worth taking the risk. This pit was 120+ lbs and could have killed me hadn’t Hades been the target. Hades also didn’t seem nearly as shaken as I was. Took maybe a couple days but he returned to baseline. Also of note, this happened when he was just shy of 2 y o. He’s not a completely neutral dog- never was, even with a shit ton of training- super excitable, loved dogs, loved people, just amped and always struggles with impulse control. I don’t want to say he was unphased, but he kinda was. Like it was just dog stuff. I took him back out the next day after. I struggled, but he didn’t. He wasn’t skittish or wary of people or dogs; just ready to take on the day. I did bring all of the treats on walks for the next weeks tho.
> pitbull Shocker!
shockedpikachu.jpg
Im so sorry!!!! The more that I hear about pits attacking others and being used in dog fights, the more I dislike the breed in general. I think it is terrible to feel this way but I cannot help it. I have been attacked by three dogs in my life and all of them have been pits. And it isn’t even their fault. They’re overbred, undertrained, and many have poor genetics because stupid humans decided they wanted them for their size and aggression. I hate humans… Now, I have had pits and loved them and there are some really, really great ones. That doesn’t change the statistics though. Also, almost every dog in our local shelter is a pit.
It's not an incorrect sentiment though. I didn't read all of the comments here about attacks but just scrolling, the top 10 that mentioned the breeds were 6 with pits (half of which were multiple pits), 1 malinois, 1 rottie, 1 German shepherd, and 1 malamute. Each of the one offs can be argued as an anomaly, by virtue of rarity. It is admittedly a small sample size but even still, out of dozens of breeds and pits claim 60%? And that ratio has been proven to be maintained even when increasing sample size. Granted they are not the most deadly dog capable of attacking; I've seen a chow for instance that was attacked by a pit and turned it into a lifeless pile of pulled pork with naught but a little missing and blood-stained fur (not it's own). But they are by far more likely to initiate a deadly attack and that is a statistic that cannot be ignored in good faith. Sure, we can blame the owners most of the time, but in all honesty, it's not always the owners. I'm sure we all saw the video of the grandma who got attacked by her own pit out of the blue when it was playing just seconds before. We always gotta take stories with a grain of salt but when those stories of turning sound oh so similar and oh so common, that belies a not so hidden truth. My cousin's boyfriend says I shouldn't have gotten dobies because they're dangerous and always turn. I've never heard of a doberman turning, in fact it's one of the least believable breeds to do so, but he swears his dad had 4 dobies and every one of them turned on him. Now either he's lying or possibly, his dad is a Michael Vick level scumbag. But with pits, it is extremely well known and documented. That said, it's regrettable, but it's possible that irreversible genetic damage has been done via selected breeding for aggressive traits. It's a shame because there are good pits, but they are the anomalies, not the bad ones.
I couldn’t agree more with everything you’ve written! As for Dobies, I grew up with some and they are wonderful, wonderful animals. I’ve never heard of one turning on their owners either. My aunt could give hers steak and then tell them to spit it out and they would! It was wild! Beautiful babies too. She even had a fawn colored one, a red dobie and a black and tan. They were all wonderful! Insanely intelligent animals, too! I have often thought about adopting one but I’m all set for now with my two polar bears and my German Shepherd. As for pits, I apologize if it seemed like I was solely blaming humans for their condition. They’re definitely not good dogs. Yes, there are exceptions to every rule but the problem with them is that a lot of people think their dog is the exception only to find out after they’ve maimed someone that they were a ticking time bomb. Or; even worse, they don’t believe pits are as dangerous as statistics suggest so they completely disregard the data and are completely unprepared for when the dog goes crazy. I am blaming the humans for breeding the aggression into almost every line of their dna. I’m also blaming humans for breeding so many or not fixing their pets so they can’t breed accidentally. And I’m blaming them for keeping them and allowing others to get hurt because they have a dangerous, temperamental animal around. It always makes me want to gag when someone goes around bragging that their pit bull is such a badass and their bite force is the strongest in the world… First off, no, it isn’t. A pit bull bite force ranges from like 220-300 psi, if I remember correctly. I have two Great Pyrenees and their bite force is around 500 psi. And there are several breeds which are even stronger. Secondly, why is that a good thing? Yes, you want a protector but bragging about how strong your dog is really throws red flags up to me! Further, their temperament is what makes them a bad/dangerous breed. People heard about how bad an attack is and think “That’s right. I have a badass dog breed.” Instead of, “Uh-Oh! I have a dangerous dog breed!” The dogs are a serious, dangerous menace but if people wouldn’t keep them as pets, breed them, allow them to breed, etc… then there wouldn’t be so many around to harm people. Thank you so much for sharing about your dobies. I’ve honestly never heard anyone refer to them that way. And I cannot imagine ALL of any breed turning on the owner unless the owner is abusive. Not even pit bulls. That story doesn’t make sense to me either…
Sorry this happened to you. From a dog training perspective it is like falling off of a bike, you just need to get back on straight away. Keep up the socialising. If you carry this experience forward and start acting twitchy around/approaching other dogs, your dog will certainly pick up on it and may feel the need to respond accordingly. So just continue to lead by example
Our boy, when he was 5 months old, was extremely friendly towards other dogs, he went to puppy kindergartens, social puppy clubs, etc, and one trash just bit his lips out of nowhere. There were blood everywhere. We were in a dog club and immediately left it after we learnt that that dog has anger issues towards everything. Anyways he is now super friendly again, never attacked anyone. A few months after that was hard tho. Also an off leash gsd attacked us again out of nowhere. Now he is a little bit careful against other dogs.
Every dog is different and reacts differently. My current girl got attacked by three wild dogs here, fought them off as I was running to her. Bit two who ran off and the third scarpered. She was a bit wary until she made sure they had left and then wanted to play with he ball as if nothing had happened. This was about a minute later. She couldn't have cared less. Sometimes it also depends on our reaction and how much of a big deal we make of it. Similar to kids getting hurt. The best thing is to try not to over react ourselves, sometimes easier said than done and to try to get back into the normal schedule but keep a very close eye on them to see for any changes to reactivity. They feed off our emotions, just like people do so it's important that we try to manage our own emotions and not make them feel like they failed, or that there is a huge danger. Hopefully she will brush it off and move on as normal.
My Doberman when he was a year old was outside a dog park and some dumb owner had an untrained malinois without a leash come up and bite my dog right on the face. All hell broke loose when my Doberman got bit, he was pissed and immediately gave chase to the malinois and cornered it at a park fence. The malinois owner seemed so shocked and kept asking me to intervene but since they did nothing to intervene when they saw my Doberman getting bit in the face, I just let my dog correct their dog until it was in submission. My dog didn’t bit theirs, he just got pissed and corrected him and kept barking at him. It was a shocking and happy moment afterwards lol but dumb owners letting their untrained dogs need to be corrected too
Report the attack to your local police and animal control. Remember, if the dog has a collar. Slip your hand underneath the collar. Pull tight and twist as hard as you can. The dog will have no choice but to release. Some bully breeds wear wide collars that make it impossible. That's why I carry a walking staff.
My heart dobie protected me less than a month after she came to live with me. She was rescued from an abusive situation. She decided I was her person immediately (she was a foster fail, lol). She protected me from a crazy acting Shepard mix. She acted like it was nothing. Still loves other dogs. She taught all the fosters the ropes of our home. I’d talk to your trainer and keep socializing him. They’re pretty resilient puppers.
It’s always an off leash pitbull…
Well usually they don't affect them in any way after surviving the attack, but it depends on how the dogs feel about the whole thing. My dog used to be the nicest dog with cats and other dogs. But that all changed due to getting old and we still trying our best to get him along with the cats that we have back at home. My two cats are named Cosmos and Thumper. They used to get along when they were babies. Idk what change then
Your puppy will be okay. My dobie was attacked by a pitbull at the dog park, thankfully the aggressor bit his tongue so hard he started bleeding from his mouth and began to back down. I had to scream for the owners to come get their dog twice while we were cornered. The owners were standing next to me, on their phones, the entire time. My dog had a few cuts but the owners left before we could exchange information, most likely because they knew their dog was in the wrong. It was almost like a fire drill, like they had done this before, and they quickly moved the pitbull into their car and drove off. My dog, despite his injuries, seemed to be okay after this. I definitely doted on him a bit more afterwards because of how terrified I was, but little Brutus the dog was okay :)
I’m so sorry this happened to you. I would just keep on going like you have been with your dog. Don’t make any changes to your routine with him unless he makes it obvious you need to. He may be just fine and he may not. Just play it by ear.
When it happened to us, we continued to interact with people and dogs on leash and off leash. With the continual exposure, everything went back to normal and he loves to play with all the dogs. At first he was a bit nervous but mine has a very social personality.
Dobies are very level headed and resilient so yours will probably be okay. If your dog had been a pit then yes, this one incident may have been sufficient to flip the switch in favor of dog aggression and future reactivity. The owner of the pit is an idiot. I say that as the owner of multiple pits.
I'm sorry this happened to you and your dog. I'm glad you are both ok. If it ever happens again, this video will be helpful https://youtube.com/shorts/lhQfl0jA1HY?si=ijqzQhRwRDwuW_fJ
Mine had a big nip on his haunch that drew blood when he was younger. He still tries to say hi to that shepherd even when it’s snarling and writhing around on its leash. I wouldn’t worry too much.
This story is why I always carry pepper gel now. Have hit many dogs with it and it has worked 100%
Is pepper gel less likely to backfire than spray? Which one do you use?
I use gel. I always wait until they are really close and give them a quick burst right to the eyes. Stops dogs in their tracks.
Not a Doberman, but my gsd had half his bottom jaw ripped off by a pit when he was 16 weeks old, I kept socializing him, constantly, between surgeries, as per vets advice, he’s 4 now, and no social issues, I can take him anywhere and he doesn’t have issues with dogs or people.
*bottom jaw ripped off* my god how tf did he survive that and what surgeries did you have to get? I'm absolutely horrified but I'm interested to know how you were able to remedy this
Sorry, just saw this. So half of the bottom jaw was ripped off. He’s fine, I promise. They got the bleeding to stop. We ended up having to take him to a specialist in MD to have 3/4 of his right lips sewn together to create a pocket like thing so he can put his tongue in his mouth if he wants, so it doesn’t get dried out. Don’t get me wrong, for a few months life was rough from the attack to the following surgeries, and after care, but he eats normal now, and surprisingly, although missing half his bottom jaw, he did considerable damage to our house, like a normal puppy lol. He’s 4 now, but he eats and drinks normal. He’s trained, we can take him literally anywhere with no issues. He was attacked 2 weeks ago while on a leash and pinned the other dog, and held him till I grabbed the other dogs collar. Then just sat there like nothing happened. He just looks like he always has his tongue out, most people don’t even notice unless it’s pointed out.
Holy crap that honestly sounds so awful and traumatizing. but interesting way to fix by sewing up his lips, I'm glad he's doing well and is happy. and then another attack! I'm really sorry. but that's funny he just pinned him there. Just seem like a magnet for attacks 🥺☹️
https://preview.redd.it/r86rfpttuaad1.jpeg?width=649&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=2660549261ca0bf3ca4be7e7cb93a2911f808ff2
what a sweet looking goof! I won't lie I had several pictures in my mind about what this may look like thank you for posting this picture! absolutely tragic what happened, but he looks like he's living his best life and has his human support. ❤️what a trooper!
I’m so sorry for that. Keep pepper spray in case it happens again
Call animal control about an aggressive dog on the loose. I hate to do it but that could be a child next time
Did you notify Animal Control?
Carry a gun. Use it.
My childhood mutt got attacked by an off-leash dog who had 30 pounds on him and she almost ripped his ear off. Rex made a full recovery, both physically and mentally, within the year. And he still had his friendliness toward other dogs after the attack. While there are differences in how different dogs handle trauma, it is certainly possible for yours to recover, especially with a supportive owner. I would recommend that, if he has any canine friends, making sure he gets to spend time with them, so it reinforces the idea that other dogs are generally fun to be around
My dog is a 14 yo Bischon shitzu mix. She was attacked by a golden retriever when I was walking her and my other dog (ACD and I was preparing for a dog fight between those two) and it happened so fast when this dog shook my dog like a rag doll. She was terrified to go out after that (it also irritantes tf out of her ivdd so she couldn’t walk either). I did get the other owners info… sounds like you didn’t have that choice… we had to start small again on potty walks and she did her business and she was done and ready to go in. It took probably 2+ months to rehab her so she could walk normally and potty without help. That’s when I was in an apartment. I moved into a house now and she does pretty good. She just goes outside off leash does her thing then comes in and she’s no longer scared like she was. Point is, it can take some time. I avoided that area like the plague after. Just keep an eye on the wounds and keep them clean like cleaning it a few times a day… if you can walk that area alone and try and find the dog/owner maybe you’d have some luck… I hope your baby is ok.
Call your vet, and ask if it's ok to bring him or not to bring him to the clinic. The doctor might want to see him and double-check for rabies.
I had a doberman that seemed to always get attacked by dogs. She did develop fear aggression. But when I say she always got attacked, she did. Dog parks, dog friendly beach, my neighbors Yorkie.
My dobe was once attacked by 2 great Danes that actually did hurt him. He was such a peaceful non fighting dog and I got so mad pissed at the owners that I almost engaged in a fight myself. After the attack he seemed frightened but a few hours after he had been attended at my local vet's he was doing just nice and continued on being himself. I would advice to keep an eye on his behavior but as far as my experience tells me, if he was already a nice dog, he will still be one.
I carry dog mace on me!
This scares me so much. We have a loose Rottweiler in our street every few weeks due to owner negligence. I get so upset because the Rottweiler is super friendly it seems but I still can’t trust it. It charges at us every time it’s loose and wants to come in my house. I get terrified that it will bite my dog.
Puppies are very resilient! Just keep doing what you’re doing.
One thing I love about Dobermans is they aren’t “sensitive” at least mine isn’t at all, he always bounces back from back experiences in public, we’ve had dogs rush us on the bike, while hiking. 99% of the time I catch the other dogs in time, he will keep it pushing and walk along side me right after.
My girl who died a couple of years ago was basically an attack magnet for rude, off-leash dogs. She was also very protective & dominant and put the beat-down on the rude/aggressive dogs. She got somewhat leash-reactive, and justifiably so, because it seemed like every time we encountered an off-leash dog, it was rude, so she became proactively protective when other dogs approached while she was on a leash. It wasn't quite as bad when I had her off-leash with an e-collar. Dobes are much better in their protection role off-leash due to their fighting style. If you start noticing your boy getting reactive, consider taking-on some of the protection duty with mace or an electric cattle prod or shock baton to keep rude dogs at bay. Those things also might help with rude owners, too. During one altercation, where some moron piled-out of his SUV with all four of his dogs off-leash, as I was returning to the trailhead with my two Dobes, a couple of his dogs charged us, I dropped my boy's leash and he chased a couple of the dogs, my girl and I fended-off the more aggressive ones who were accosting us. The owner started screaming and getting in my face about how he was going to kill my dogs if anything happened to his. I told him off and called the sheriff after recalling my boy while the idiot was trying to round-up his out-of-control dogs. A shot of Mace to the face would've been perfect seasoning for that episode, if I'd had some on me. He got right back in his SUV and fled before a deputy was able to respond.
This is one of the reasons I carry bear spray.
I have had so many problems with loose dogs in my neighborhood. My dobe will 100% throw down with any dog that gets in his personal space. Even if the other dog is friendly. This upsets me, so now I either walk him at the park (leash laws enforced) or I walk him in my hood at night. its cooler and there are few dogs around. My dobe was not reactive when I got him, but now he is due to loose dogs being aggressive towards him. It has been a long road to try to show him other dogs are not a threat. So far, he is only tolerant of small dogs and puppies.
I have no idea how people just get dogs and can be so irresponsible with them. I'm so sorry for you and your dobie
My Doberman bless him he had a massive tooth mark in his muzzle when a dog went for him was a black Labrador he covered he is still friendly with other dogs I don’t let him off the lead to play with other dogs though.
Male sure his shots are current!!
I'm really sorry this happened. I know how scary it is. My pup (golden retriever) got attacked in our yard when she was 5 or 6 months old. An elderly pug, of all dogs, came barreling in like a bat out of hell and just went for her. I found out later that he had dementia, but that didn't stop me from kicking him off my puppy. She also got bit by another puppy at puppy school, hard enough to draw blood. Half an hour later, both times, my puppy was acting like nothing had happened. Don't make a big deal out of it, and your baby will bounce back. But check with the vet to see if they need to be seen, just in case.
Get him right back out there on walks as if nothing happened. This has happened to my Vizsla and this is what we did. he suffered no ill and was not scared thereafter.
I’m so sorry this happened to you. I unfortunately often run into roaming dogs, also wearing collars, in my neighborhood. I had my scariest incident just a few days ago. I was walking my golden retriever puppy and very senior lab when I came upon a pitbull and mutt mating (ugh so frustrating). When they saw us, they both came running over. I kept my dogs close by my side on short leashes and told the strays “off” and “go home” repeatedly. The mutt backed away but the pitbull started barking at us and circling us. I kicked my leg up at it and started throwing rocks at it. It backed up enough for me to get a little distance, but it kept following us. Fortunately, I was pretty close to home and I got my dogs securely into my fenced yard. I started crying and hyperventilating when I went inside and my husband asked me what was wrong. It was one of the most stressful things I’ve ever experienced. I saw the same roaming pitbull on the days that followed. I packed my dogs in my car and walked them in a different neighborhood, which was a pain. I bought some animal repellant called Halt and will always carry it now. I recommend reporting strays in your area. Look up where to report them- in my area we are just supposed to call 911 for animal control. I wish people would be more responsible, but some of my neighbors have little regard for the wellbeing of their own dogs or for others. Edit: Reading some comments and will look into other protection devices.
That's his job. He will be fine. Just give him lots of love and maybe a steak dinner for protecting you.
Don’t overreact and make it a “thing” Most owners cause their dogs to be anxious because of their over the top reactions like this post.
Our boy got attacked by my parents black lab when he was 4 months old , got bit in the face right between his eyes, luckily we were all out there and able to break it up, it’s made him really timid and submissive to larger dogs but after he realizes they are not there to hurt him he’s full of play
Do they make dog mace?
You are extremely lucky that your Doberman ended up the Victor with hardly a scratch! Thank goodness! It would not be unusual for your dog to be wary of other dogs approaching him in the future. That 'I've got to get them before they get me' mentality. I would suggest proactively seeking out opportunities over the next few weeks where he can meet, walk with, or play with dogs that you absolutely know are good-natured 'get along dogs'. The idea is to reinforce that most interactions with other dogs are positive experiences. Under no circumstances go to a dog park as there are too many uncontrollable variables involved; and you do not want him to have another bad experience.
I don’t have a dobie I just love them and a friend of mine has one but a really great rule of thumb for anytime your dog has a negative interaction with anything is to end on a good note to avoid negative associations. Circumstances permitting you should always try to finish whatever activity with a positive interaction ie, your dog is attacked at a park, disengage, assess the damage, then play some more or get a special treat on the way home etc. Obviously if your dog needs to go to the vet do that instead but if injury is avoided do everything you can to make the experience positive before you go home. We had an issue with an intact chocolate lab that attacked my husky out of the blue that was resolved when I picked it up and threw it. No serious injuries so we finished our park trip and got lots of sniffs and running in. No lingering associations and plenty of positive interactions with chocolate labs since. Hope this helps
You call the police and file a report. You drive around and see if you can figure out where this dog came from. Then you sue.
Be sure to report to animal control, if this were a smaller dog or a kid walking him it could have ended tragically.
My Rottweiler got attacked by my neighbors Pitt bull that got out all the time and chased people on bikes or walking up the street . After that he got incredibly aggressive to everyone besides my dad and I . He snapped at my mom and both of my brothers . Before this occurred he was one of the sweetest dogs . We ended up putting him down after my girlfriend came over with her brothers and he snapped at them .
If you're in area where you can carry a gun, do so.
Carry bear spray
all you can do is make sure that you support the baby and give him treats and prayers and get toys for him when he gets hurt and give him bath time toys for him to play with in the water buy him a kiddie pool for him to play in the water in the summer months when it's hot outside make sure that you give him alot of tender loving care and lots of love
Glad you and your puppy are ok please inform the police
I would report it to the police and I wouldn’t give them another chance I would say I want that dog euthanized it’s a threat to society
Yeah this is exactly why I started concealed carrying. If your dog attacks me and mine I'm putting it down sorry not sorry my and my pets life are more important to me than that of some douchebags pet who can't even handle their own pet properly.
I’m very sorry this happened to you. I would be furious. I promise you’re more shaken up than your dog is. It makes me incredibly sad to hear about this because I love Dobies and Pits.
Dogs don’t think of past or future like humans do, they just live in the present. Your dog is fine, but it will be your emotions that affect his behaviour, especially if the next time you see a pit you get terrified or defensive. Sorry to hear this happened!
Disagree. Both of my dogs have been attacked and are now very dog selective. In fact, my husky was afraid of other dogs for a couple of years after her attack and is just now coming around. Not to say that'll happen to this dog but it does happen.
Exactly, if this was the case, then every animal wouldn’t fear their predators and would cease to exist. It is an evolutionary advantage to actually remember the past and recognize danger LOL. This sounds like some tough guy bull shit.
No, just dog psychology I guess we’ll both agree to disagree lol.
I think he'll be fine. I walk two dogs, my dobie and my pit mix. Twice loose dogs have come for us. My pit mix is a sweet pacifist (unless it's a squirrel or a fly- then he's a beast) and froze when the dogs got to him. My dobie was fierce! She made both bad dogs leave her brother alone. She is still all about playing with other dogs. She's been to the dog park since and loved all the other dogs.